Needle guard for sewing machines



Sept. 1'8, 1928.

R. L. LYONS NEEDLE GUARD FOR sEwIN'GAMAcHINEs Filed Jan. 9, 1925 2Sheets-Sheet IN i Sept. 18, 1928.

R.' L. LYONS NEEDLE GUARD FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Jan. 9, .1925 2Sheets-Sheet Patented Sept. 18, 1928.

UNITED STATES l 1,684,453- PATENT oFFIcE.

ROBERT L. LYONS, OF WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T FREDERICK OSANNCOMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

.A CORPORATION lOE NEW YORK.

NEEDLE GUARD FOR SEWING MACHINES.

Application led January 9, 1925, Serial No. 1,431.

This invention relates to guards or shields for sewing machines forpreventing injury to the operator from flying pieces should the needlebreak while the machine is in operation. As it is desirable to permitready access to the needle when the machine is stopped this inventionprovides means for moving the guard to and from its operative positionbetween the needle and the operator so that when the machine is runningit is in its operative position and when the machine is stopped it isautomatically or at the will of the operator retracted. For morecomplete understanding of this invention reference may be had to theaccompanying drawings in which Figure l is a side elevation of a buttonsewing machine showing the needle guard applied thereto. I

Figure 2 is a detail bottom elevation of a portion of the machine .headdrawn to a smaller scale. j

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail.

Figure l is a front elevation of the same,

' I certain parts being omitted.

Figure 5 is a detail section on line 5 5 of Figure .4.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 4: but showing a modifiedconstruction.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary side elevation of the machine showing amodified form of guard actuating means.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary plan illustrating' the same means. y

Figure 9 is a fragmentary rear elevation of the same. c

Referring first toFigure 1, a button sewing machine is shown having awork table 1, provided at one end with an upstanding portion 2terminating in a horizontal arm 3, which carries on its forward end ahead l for'supporting certain ofthe sewing instrumentalities, suchinstrumentalities including a needle bar 5 to the lower end of which isfixed the needle 6. Positioned beneath the arm 3, is shown a buttonclamp of any suitable description as at 9 by which a button may be heldin position so 'that the needle may pass through the holes thereofandsew the button to work positioned between the button clamp and the upperface of the table 1, as shown, in the usual manner.

At the forward lower edge ofthe head l is pivoted on a shaft 10 a needleguard 6', which as shown in Figures 4 and 6, comprises a rectangularframe 7 supporting a transparent window portion 8, which whenv the guardis rocked downwardly into the dotted line position shown in Figures 1and 4, is in front of needle 6, and between the needle and the machineoperator and closely adjacent to the needle. The transparent portion 8permits the operator to watch the operation of the machine as the workis being sewed but should the needle break, the guard prevents flyingportionsthereof from escaping in the operators direction. Then themachine is stopped, however, it is desirable that the guard should beremoved from in front of the needle, this being done in the presentinstance by lrocking the guard on its shaft 10 upwardly as shown in fulllines inFigures 1` and Il. Inplace of rocking the guard to and from itsoperative position about a horizontal axis as shown in Figures 1 and ditmay, if desired, be rotated about a vertical axis as shown in Figure 6.As vshown in this gure the shaft 10 is journaled in vertical positionVin bearings 11 projecting laterally from one side edge of the head Ll.With this construction it may be rocked to take a position as shown indotted lines in Figure 6 adjacent to the needle 6 and between the needleand the operator or it may be rocked into the full line position shownin Figure@ where it is positionedat one side of 'the needle, the needlethen being freely accessibleV to the operator.

Inorder to rock the guard whichever Way it yisV pivotally mounted, theconstruction shown in detail in Figure 5 has been provided.- It will beseen that theshaft 10 has .fixed thereon a pinion 15 rotatable within alhousing 16 projecting laterally from a tubular member .or sleeve l17.This pinion meshes with the teeth of a rack 18 slidable through theVsleeve 17, this rack being carried on the forward end of a thrust rod20. l.

As shown, the forward end of the thrust rod is .threaded as at 21 and isscrewed into `the end of the rack bar 18, a check nut 22 being employedto fix the two in proper relative position. The forward end of the rackbar has fixed thereto a washer 25 of vlarger diameterV than the rackbar, as by meansl of a screw 26, this washer forming'astop engageablewith the Aforward end of the sleeve Y 17Lto limit therearward motion ofthe rack bar. It is evident that by pushing the thrust rod 2Oforwardlyfrom the position shown in Figure 5, the pinion 15 will beturned in a direction to bring the guard tov its operative position,while movement of the Vagainst ak collar 32 fixed as by means of a setscrew 33 to the thrust rod. This thrust rod is intended to be actuatedby the mechanism for starting 'and stopping the Inachine. Such mechanismmay be of any suitable type but asjherein shown is of the constructionfully shown, described and claimed in the application for patent ofHarold W. Morris for stop mechanism, Serial No.

, 643,898, filed June 7, 1923, and it may be actuated therefrom invarious ways, two of which are shown in the accompanying drawinns.

ileferring to the Aconstruction shown in Figure 1, it will be seen thatthe thrust rod 2,0 passes to the lrear of the machine and through aperforation in a guide post' 35 fixed to a bar 3b which forms part of abelt shipper, the belt shipper` fingers being indicated at 37 and 38.*Forwardly of the post v the thrust rod 20 has affixed thereto, as bymeans 'of a set Yscrew 40, a collar 41. In the position shown in Figure1 the shipper fingers 37 and 38 are positioned to hold the Vdriving beltfor the machine, (not shown) on a loose pulley but bythe motionforwardly of the belt Ashipper 36, the belt 'ma be moved by thesefingers on to a tight pu ley 46 by which action the opera-tion of themachine may be initiated. When this forward movement of the belt shipperisaffected the post 35 is likewise moved forwardly,"a`nd this,iinpinging on the 'collar 41, causes the thrust rod 20 to be movedforwar'dly, thus causing the guard toI be moved to its operativeposition 'as hereinbefo're described. As soon as 'the belt shipper ismoved rearwardly to bringv the belt on Vto the loosev pulley and to stopthe machine, the post 35 is also moved rearwardly thus i permitting thethrust rod 20 to move therewith under 'the action of the coilspring 30,

ywhich moves the thrust rod 2O rearwardly as far as is Vpermitted byengagement f the collar 4l against the post 35. As shown in the Morrispatent hereinbefore referred to, and in Figures 1 and 2the belt shipperand stop member are caused to move forwardly by means such V'as atreadl'e which` acts through a chain 50 to rock a bell crank lever 51 ina manner to cause its upwardly extending arm 52 'to engage a pin 53extending laterally from a plunger 54 which is connected in any suitablemanner to the belt shipper.

When moved forwardly in this manner the plunger 54 may be latched in itsforward position, for this purpose a. latch 55 being shown, whichengages behind a latch surface 56 on the plunger. As soon as this hasbeen affected and pressure removed from the treadle a spring 57 retractsthe hell crank lever out of engagement with the pin 53 so that when thelatch 55 is tripped by any suitable means the belt shipper 1s free to beprojected rearwardly to bring the shipper fingers into cooperativerelation with theV loose pulley by means of a spring 60 engaging acollar Xed to the plunger shaft 54. It may thus be seen that Wheneverthe chain 50 is pulled downwardly to start the mai stops themachine,iand the 'spring 3() acts to move the guard into inoperativeposition so that the needle isi'eadily accessible.

In Figures 7, 8 and 9, a slightly modified connection to the stopmechanism is disclosed.

At 7 0 is shown a vertically extending rod having a hook 71 at its upper'end which may engage an arm on a rock shaft 8O which has fixed theretoan arm 81 lconnected by chain 82 to the button clamp 9, in order thatthis clamp may be raised from the lWork table by a 'downward pull on therod 70. This rod 70, is, however, so connected to the stop mechanismthat it cannot be depressed While the machine is running. For thispurpose the `rod 70 is cut awa at one side as at 85 (Figure 3) so that wen it is in one ari'al position only a rod 86, slidably 'mounted in themachine frame, may extend therepast. lVhen the rod 86 is so extended therod 70 is looked against vertical movement. The rod 86 is so connected'to the belt shipper vmechanism by a link 87 that it is so exten'dedwhile the machine is running, thus holding the rod 7 0 elevated, and isretracted when the belt shipper is in machine stopped position sothatthe rod 70 may be de ressed to raise the button clamp from itsuttonpresenting position. The llower end of this rod 70 is slidablyguided through the frame of the machine and has a chain 72 fixed theretobeneath the guiding portion. This rod 70 has fined thereto near itsupper end a collar 73 provided with a laterally extending pin 7 f4, Thethrust rod 20 passes through the post `35 upstanding from the beltshipper 36 in the same manner as herebefore described, but instead ofthe collar 4l, a suitable collar shown at 7 5 is afiXed to the push rod2O forwardly of the post 35. This collar engages at its rear end on thedownwardly' extending arm 76 of a bell crank lever 77 pivoted at 78 tothe machine frame. The other arm 79 of this bell crank lever is slottedas at 790 to take over the pin 74. It will be seen therefore that whenthe chain 72 is lowered to raise the button clamp the bell crank lever77 is rocked into the dotted line position shown in Figure 7 thus permitting the collar 75 to 'follow the lower arm ot' this lever under theimpulse exerted thereon by the spring 30, this action taking place onlywhen the beltJ shipper is in loose pulley belt-engaging position. Thisconstruction so far as the rod 70 and-the belt shipper is concerned isfully disclosed in the application for patent of Harold Morris, SerialNo. 643,897 iiled June 7, 1923, for button sewing machine.

It will only be necessary to note herein that whenever the machine isstopped the chain 72 is pulled downwardly, this acting to permit thespring to move the. thrust rod 2O in a direction to move the guard outof its operative position. The machine can be started only after thechain 72 has been allowed to rise, this lowering the button clamp andbringing the guard into its operative position.

Having thus described certain embodiments of this invention, it should.be evident to those skilled in the art that various changes andlmodiications might be made therein without departing from its spirit orscope as deiined in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In a button sewing machine, a button clamp, means for moving saidclamp intoand out of button-presenting position, sewinginstrumentalities including a needle, a needle guard movable to and fromguarding position to protect the operator from iying pieces in case theneedle breaks, and means actuated by said clamp vmoving means for movingsaid guard into and out of guarding position.

2. In a button sewing machine, a button clamp, means Jfor moving saidclamp into and out ot button-presenting position,'sew inginstrumentalities including a needle, a needle guard movable to and fromguarding position to protect the operator from flying pieces in oase theneedle breaks, machine starting and stopping mechanism, means actuatedby said clamp moving means for moving said guard into and out ofguarding position, and means actuated by said machine starting andstopping mechanism to retain said guard in guarding position while themachine is running.

In testimony 'whereof I have ailiXed my signature.

ROBERT L. LYONS.

